"God is in this place and I did not know it." Jacob after his dream (Genesis 28). At a recent board meeting, I suggested a unique Hebrew name for our new worship space -- "HaMakom", and the board, after consultation and a discussion of its meaning, voted and made it official.

Well let me tell you about the meaning of the word, "HaMakom", which is translated as "The Place". It is found throughout the Torah in remarkable moments. Remember the story of Jacob sleeping on the desert floor with only a rock for a pillow after escaping from his brother, Esau. Jacob dreams of a ladder from earth going up to the highest realms with angels going up and down it. Jacob awakes and says: "God is in 'the place' and I did not know it". This surely is the gateway to the Divine, the gateway to the heavens. Jacob later names the place: "Beit El", the place or house of God. (Genesis 28)

Another earlier tradition has Abraham seeing "the place" that God would show him on his journey with his son Isaac. (Genesis 22). This place later is identified as the very spot where the Ancient Temple was built in Jerusalem. When Moses witnessed the burning bush he didn’t come closer because he realized that "the place" where he was standing was holy ground. (Exodus 3). When our people Yisrael entered the promised land, we were told to go to "the place" God would show us. (Deuteronomy 26). One interpretation is that the word "MaKom" may be derived from kom – arousal or coming up, and ma – from beneath.

So, too, I hope that our place will uplift us. I hope it does so whenever we gather there. "HaMakom" is a name of God, meaning that God can be found where we live our lives in sacred ways through Torah, prayer and acts of goodness. Finally when a person is in grief after losing a loved one, we say, "HaMakom" will comfort you. At a time when a person may feel alone, abandoned by God, our tradition lifts up the bereaved person for at this moment saying, "HaMakom/God will comfort you".

At Temple Emanuel, we hope that "HaMakom" will become a very special place for contemporary prayer, for Shabbat alternative celebration, for Jewish music and the cultural arts as well as for our religious school students. We hope to explore Jewish learning, family education, special art programs, perhaps Judaism and yoga and Jewish meditative prayer and Jewish healing programs. We may also use this space for family celebrations. How fortunate we are to have another sacred space in our temple community. We look forward to many years of creative use of HaMakom.

- Rabbi Warren Stone

A revolving art display makes HaMaKom a very warm place to visit. Art displays will change either once a month or every other month. Many Temple artists have volunteered their art for this purpose. The art displays started this past spring with watercolors by Ruja Shemer and acrylics by Mort Rudo. Presently K Szafan has beautiful nature photographs waiting to be seen by the congregation. In the fall, Shirley Hess will exhibit her exquisite watercolors. Karen Fricke will present her wonderful quilts in November. Plans are being made for De Herman's ketubas; art work by students in our religious school, artists such as Diane Szezepaniak, Ruth Lozner, and Eric Koenig, ending in late spring with a combination of all of our artists. We do have Temple artists who have not yet surfaced to let us know of their talents. Please feel free to do so. Contact Sue Rudo r4922@erols.com.